Overview
- Karnataka’s Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the Scheduled Castes (Sub-Classification) Bill, 2025, moving the state’s internal reservation framework into law.
- The measure divides the 17% SC quota among three categories—6% each for Category-A (16 castes) and Category-B (19 castes), and 5% for Category-C (63 castes)—with Adi Andhra, Adi Dravida and Adi Karnataka allowed to opt into Category-A or B.
- The government says passage will enable recruitment to resume after last year’s freeze and apply the new percentages to filling backlog vacancies in public appointments.
- Ministers noted that the framework includes provisions to revise the matrix if needed, reflecting recommendations rooted in the Justice H. N. Nagamohan Das commission’s report.
- The policy remains contested as nomadic SC tribes have approached the courts over their treatment in the matrix, and opposition members raised concerns about potential changes to allocations.